Indian Dinner Party Night

Last night I had my long awaited Dinner Party fundraiser! And boy was it good times!

I had six wonderful friends over to partake in a tasty five course meal to raise a few dollars for the ride to conquer cancer. Because two of the attendees are pretty close to popping out some babies, I had to re-work the menu to be, shall we say, pregnant friendly. And since I am brown, and most of the attendees were white folk, I thought "Let's Go To India!"

Corrie and I pretty much spent the entire day on our feet cooking and preparing the feast, which included shopping, and making sure my daughter didn't accidentally end up in a pot of curry. We took a few pictures to document the evening. Take a look:

My very special In-Laws not only made their home available to us to host the dinner, they also staged the house with a beautiful table setting, flowers, and lots of room in the fridge for me to use, not to mention a truly massive donation to the ride. Thanks Roger and Sandy!

It may seem cruel, but this was really the best way to ensure she didn't find a way either into the fireplace, or out the door to the car for a joyride. Also, she enjoyed the cookies...

1st Course: Carrot Salad - cucumbers, cilantro, mint, olive oil, lemon juice, sesame seeds, papadum.

2nd Course: Lamb Seekh Kebob - ground lamb, cilantro, onions, eggplant puree, mint chutney, tamarind chutney, naan. Corrie was the evening's saucier (and photographer), and did a fantastic job. The eggplant recipe is one that I actually got from watch "The Everyday Exotic" on the food network. Ironically, I ran into the host of the show, Roger Mooking (also known as MC Mystic from the 90's band Bass is Base), at the Longo's in Oakville last week and told him I was making it for my fundraiser. He got so excited! I almost asked him to drop by in his Funkmobile.

3rd Course: Chana Masala - chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, cucumber raita, spinach and cilantro pancakes (my healthier version of pakoras)

4th Course: Kuku Paka - coconut chicken curry, basmati rice, naan. Kuku Paka is Swahili, and is a common dish amongst East Indians that at one point emigrated from East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania). This was my mom's wonderful recipe.

5th Course: Chocolate Mousse - dark chocolate, raspberries, naan khatai (cardamom butter cookie). Okay, there isn't really anything indian about chocolate mousse, but it tasted pretty decadent. The naan khatai is another one of my mom's recipes.

It was truly a lovely evening, and I really have wonderful friends that were able to indulge my culinary hobby while supporting a very worthwhile cause. In the end, we were able to raise $450 for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, and amount that allowed me to reach my minimum fundraising commitment to participate in the Ride in June, and puts me almost 80% of the way to my fundraising goal of $3,500! Thanks everyone!

I still love to cook, so if you are interested in participating in a future event like this, please let me know, and I will be at your service!

Now, lets all ignore the fact that this post was eating lots of food, and nothing about my diet or training. Carry on.